This is week 5 in volume 3 of the Saturday Survival Serial. To learn more about what the Saturday Survival Serial is, click here. To start at week 1, click here.
Eugene Rupert looked out across the empty streets. It looked like a movie set: No trash anywhere to be seen, all debris in yards cleaned up. The boards over broken windows and doorways here and there marred the scene but overall, the area of Plymouth, Indiana was cleaned up and just about ready to welcome new residents.
They had been here 10 days and in that time had gone through every single house and building with a fine tooth comb. They had located roughly sixty survivors within the city limits and though there had been an initial resistance, once people realized the troops were there to help rebuild and set infrastructure, the people came out of the woodwork. It’s working perfectly. The people immediately started helping and volunteering to spread the word to others they knew about. There were some out there now, clearing a 10 mile radius and looking for good places to put checkpoints, along with finding other survivors. Estimates had put the number much higher for the area: over 1,000 were expected to be found. He was curious how many overall they would end up with.
Several buildings were so bad from looters or unintentional fires, they were destroyed. Overall, the livable area of the original town was cut by half. Miller had been told to clear the area for arrivals but they hadn’t specified the details. He had made the tactical decision on his own. When Eugene had asked why perfectly good houses across the street from looted ones were also being burnt, Miller had replied, “More area for fields. The fire is good for the soil.” Eugene correctly suspected it was more of a control move than anything.
They had another week before people began to arrive from the deployment camp. Eugene wasn’t sure what would be in store for them. He hoped that more troops came along and they could be on their way north again. At least they are efficient. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. Down the street to his right came a group of four people. One was riding a bicycle that had a cart attached at the back. The other three were helping to keep the overly full cart moving. He watched as they stopped in front of one of the houses and pulled a large sack off the pile. The man walked up and opened the door, tossing the bag inside. He closed the door and returned back to the others.
Lighting a hand-rolled cigarette, Eugene continued to watch them and wondered what was in the bags. As they came closer, he asked them.
“Flat sheets, wool blankets, and towels. We’re supposed to get one bag in each house by tonight.” The man looked to be in his mid twenties but with the harsher life people were now living, some people had an aged look more quickly.
Eugene took a drag of his smoke. “It’d go a lot faster if three of you delivered bags at once. You don’t need three people at the cart, do you?”
One of the other men spoke up. “We have to make sure they aren’t stolen.”
Eugene looked at the man and then opened his arms wide to indicate the empty street. “Who in the hell do you think is going to steal it? There isn’t anyone else here other than the five of us for at least two blocks! Work smarter, not harder. Even if two are left at the cart, you would still double your pace.” He couldn’t believe these people were so mindless. They have their uses but there is a line…
“Were three of you told to stay with the cart or just make sure nothing is stolen?”
The men looked at each other and Eugene saw the light finally come on in their eyes. He tossed the butt of his smoke into a rain gutter and waved to them. “Have a good one, guys!”
They smiled and waved before three of them grabbed a bag. He walked back to the building where Miller had set up shop, hoping they would be getting out of here in a couple weeks at the most. The thaw was in full force now and reports said another large storm cell was going to be coming their way in the next few days. It was bad enough in the winter but the flowing water rushing down mountainsides from spring rains would be far more destructive than any blizzard.
*************
Ryan woke up slowly. His first sensation was dizziness, followed quickly by a throbbing pain in his shoulder. He struggled to remember what had happened. He could hear a deep sound from seemingly far away as his mind slowly worked its way around for memories, answers to why he would be feeling this way. He felt his heart rate increase as the sound became more insistent, more urgent.
All at once, the images of the bear and his wounded shoulder came rushing in, causing him to suck in a deep breath. His eyes flew open and a wave of nausea washed over him just as quickly.
“Gonna….sick..” Ryan struggled to roll over and felt hands on him, helping.
“Easy, now. Don’t fight it. You’ll feel better afterward.” The voice was muffled, like cotton was in his ears. As the heaving slowed down, he realized the sound was the blood rushing in his head and he took several deep breaths. Slowly, in and out like Mr. Jimmy said.
Jimmy saw the young man regain some control. He wiped his face off and helped ease him back down. It had been six hours since Ryan had passed out. The wound had opened and bled enough to take him over the tipping point. They had managed to stop the bleeding after confirming, again, that an artery hadn’t been nicked. Jimmy figured it was because the gash had gone deep through muscle and tissue, plus the length of it. It had taken almost all of their blood clot powder and he watched to make sure there was no internal bleeding. They had put a thin layer of superglue over the top to help keep it sealed.
Jimmy explained what had happened as he helped Ryan take sips of water. It was dark out and there was a chill on the steady breeze. Ryan nodded and laid back with a little shiver. “So, now what?”
Jimmy chuckled. “Well, now we are going to wait until tomorrow and see how things shake out. If you’re still holding up, we will head out. If not, a couple people will go ahead and either make it to camp or meet up with the search party. If I know my wife, she is pretty much ready to tan my hide about now.”
The others laughed but Ryan looked upset. “Mr. Jimmy, I’m really sorry, I didn’t-”
“You let me worry about Amie. It’s worth it so long as you’ve learned your lesson. Don’t ever get between a bear and his meal. You stay away from them, never advance. Stand your ground, but never advance unless you’re packing something heavy.”
Ryan blushed and laid his head back down, berating himself for making such a rookie mistake. Jimmy was about to reassure him again and held off. In this case, it would do more good to let the lesson sink in than to play it off as human error. He grinned and winked at Ryan instead as he reached down beside him. Ryan saw it was the bowl from a three piece camp mess kit and it steamed with bits of meat and greens. His mouth watered and stomach growled loudly.
Jimmy and the others laughed again at the sound. Jimmy passed the bowl and spork over, saying, “Funny how things work out. He might have gotten ya good, but now he’s helping you heal up. Nature’s got a real sense of irony.”
Ryan smiled and nodded. He recognized some tiny fiddlehead ferns and wild onions. After his third bowl, he felt much better. It wasn’t long before he went to sleep but this time, it was from a full belly.
The next morning, Jimmy woke Ryan up to check his bandage and help him get to a tree to lean against for a call of nature. When he came back, Ryan was pale and a little wobbly on his feet still. They had another five miles to go and with all the blood he had lost, it just wasn’t worth the risk.
“You need to get some more water in you and then food. I’m going to send a couple people to head home and let them know we are OK. Today, we will just hang out around camp. I’ve got a deck of cards, how much money ya got?” Jimmy grinned at Ryan as the others laughed.
It wasn’t long before the two people left for home, traveling light to make good time. Jimmy made sure Ryan was warm enough and sleeping after some water and food while Terry went in search for a few straight, young trees to chop down. Since they had expected to be home already, and all the meat was still here, they decided to smoke it all to preserve it. He had really wanted to bring fresh fish home to his wife but it would be a crime to waste even one bite of the meat.
Terry came back with the poles, including one alder, and they worked with hatchets and knives to strip away branches. Rope was tied around 4 poles that had been stacked together. They worked together to raise the poles up and separate them out to form a teepee styled frame. Terry took the small tarps out of the patrol packs they carried with them and wrapped them around the poles while Jimmy got the inner poles ready that they would drape the meat over.
Two hours later, they had all the meat was inside the smoker and the alder was smoldering perfectly. They figured it would take twelve to twenty hours of smoking to be sure everything was smoked through. They had saved some fresh fish aside and fried it up in a little bear fat, enjoying the different flavor combination.
Ryan woke up with a cry of pain when he went to roll over in his sleep and Jimmy checked his bandage again. The injury had seeped a little but that was to be expected. Jimmy had to press on it a little to make sure it drained well without making it bleed again. After using the last of the gauze from his pack and wrapped a fresh bandage around it, Ryan went back to sleep.
Though they were now committed to being here overnight again, it already seemed like it had been days’ worth of waiting. Jimmy pulled out the deck of cards and raised a questioning eyebrow at Terry, who nodded and motioned for him to deal. They settled in and waited for time to pass.
*************
Shannon’s jaw dropped in shock at the news Dale had just given her. They had been waiting for weeks now to hear more about the settlement camp and who was going to get to go. “Don’t mess with me, Dale. Have you confirmed this or is it just rumor across the chatter lines?”
Dale sat back with a grin on his face and said, “It’s confirmed, saw the list with my own eyes. All four of us are scheduled to leave in five days. It will take a couple to get there since they have to travel around some areas but we are out of here!”
Joli and Edgar were struck speechless. They were all quiet for several moments, lost in their own thoughts, when the sound of the bell indicating meal time was over made them jump. They looked at each other and chuckled, getting up with their trays.
Dale said quietly, “Keep it to yourself for now. Watch that spring in your step Joli. You need to act surprised and grateful to be chosen when they call you in.”
Joli slowed down and made it look like she was looking for her spork. As Dale passed by, she replied, “I won’t need to act grateful. I hate them for it but I am.”
Shannon stopped dead in her tracks as the words hit her like a fist. She realized that she, too, was grateful to be ‘granted’ this version of freedom. But it wasn’t freedom at all. It was a delusion. The people who weren’t part of the United Nation camps, those who resisted, they were more free than anyone within these walls. The others also stopped and looked at her questioningly. Shannon shook her head slightly and started walking again. One of the guards was paying too much attention and looked genuinely disappointed that she hadn’t stepped out of line enough for him to be justified in stepping in.
“Not here. Play it out. More on it after we leave,” she murmured as she walked passed the others and dropped her tray in the washing bin.
************
Marian laughed at the look on Roger and Sticks’ faces when they walked into the gathering grounds. There were bits of snow here and there still, in places where the sun didn’t reach yet. The Trading Post area was intact, no worse for the wear despite the horrendous storms they had experienced last winter. Everyone agreed that it had been particularly harsh, and not just because of how they were living now.
“This is great! And you all meet here twice a year? Sounds like a festival or farmer’s market.” Roger was impressed with what he had seen from these people. The further north they went, the more he realized these people really had their stuff together.
“More like something between those two. We have games in the fall and compete for the trophy that was made by Al in North Camp.”
Roger thought it was a great idea and thought about how fun something like that would be. It has been a long time since we did anything just for fun. He was surprised at the sudden strong desire to live and be part of the people of these camps and area. They had seen hard times like everyone else but had come out the other side prospering.
Mairan motioned them on. “Let’s get going. We have another few hours of walking ahead of us and I am sure the trails are really mucky.” She laughed as a thought struck her. “The thaw will not be denied! All trudge through the muck and pay homage!” She declared. That made the other laugh with her as they continued on.
Four hours later, Marian whistled as she had been taught to let the lookouts know she was coming with friendlies. She waited for the answer back before getting any closer. She’d heard about the booby trapped trails that Center Camp had put in and didn’t care much for the idea of being impaled in a punji pit. A person came from behind a tree about thirty feet down the trail. They smiled at the newcomers.
“Nice day isn’t it? Makes you dream of the harvest that’s coming. Do you have a favorite fruit?” They continued to smile, looking at each person as if memorizing their faces.
“Well, I have always enjoyed peaches but I don’t know that anything can really beat a crunchy apple right off the tree. Do you?”
“I’ve always been partial to plums, myself. Pity that apple season is so far off, though. I would love some fresh fruit. Heck, fresh anything at this point. Welcome to Center Camp. If you will follow me, I will take you to The Hall. Amie and Holly are waiting for you there along with Tyler and RR. I must ask that you follow the path I take. Do not go down any others. It would be a nasty surprise.” The man turned and began walking as if on a leisurely stroll.
Roger raised his eyebrows at Sticks who shrugged. It was a weird greeting these people had between themselves but all that mattered was he was going to finally deliver the message to RR and Tyler directly.
They were led into the camp itself and easily spotted The Hall as the central and largest building. Smoke was rising from the peak of the roof. He noticed the wind had picked up some and he wished for a weather forecast. The thought struck him as funny and he had to fight not to laugh out loud. Marian gave him a funny look.
They walked into The Hall and saw the center fireplace where a large cast iron pot was set on a tripod, hanging from chains. At a table on the far side of the building were four people who stood up when they entered.
Sticks shouted out, “RR, ya bastard! Do you have any idea the crap we went through to get here!? I’m telling you, we need a way to identify each other or something because this ”hoping they believe us” crap is just not going to work.”
Marian stopped walking and laughed out loud. Sticks had hardly spoken the whole time she’d been around him and here he was, babbling away and giving someone a hard time. It helped break a lot of tension. Introductions were made and it made Marian glad to know that her gut was right about these guys being exactly who they claimed to be.
RR came around the edge of the table with a grin on his face a mile wide. “Sticks, I’m sure the trail you left behind is full of death defying stunts of macho and all but spare me the details, ok?” He shook his hand and gave him a quick hug. “What the heck are you guys doing up here? Everything OK back south?”
Roger and Sticks nodded and Sticks replied, “Yeah, they’re as good as can be expected. Sure wish we had some toilet paper though. Funny how out of all the things in the world you miss when it hits the fan is toilet paper. And you aren’t even picky about it. Any would do.” Everyone around the table nodded at that one. Toilet paper was a very valuable luxury item.
“We have information that came directly from the inside. We told Captain and Main Camp already. Of course, Marian’s camp knows, too. They haven’t transmitted it yet but they are completely changing the way they play the game.”
Marian cut in. “Hey, where’s Jimmy?”
Amie scowled and answered. “Off playing Mr. Bush Man. He went out on a patrol to check the area and get some fresh fish. Then a bear comes along and ends up injuring one of our guys and had to stay out. We have people going to help already. Depending on how long they stay, they can tell Jimmy what’s going on themselves but I want to hear what others know that we don’t.”
Marian nodded and turned back to Sticks, almost sorry she asked.
Sticks and Roger detailed out the U.N.’s plan to have people settle areas. He told them everything that he had told Main Camp. When they finished, everyone sat back with stunned looks. Roger looked around and saw that there were people watching and listening like they had at Main Camp but here, no one was in too close. They weren’t trying to hide the fact that they were listening, they were just more respectful about it.
“Whew! You’re right. That does change the game,” said RR. He glanced at Tyler and saw the man’s wheels turning. He laughed. “OK, Mr. Wizard, how are we going to turn this to our advantage?”
Tyler smiled. “This may make our job even easier. If they are letting people come in, we can get more of our people in place to rot them from the inside out. The bottom line is there are more of us around here than there are of them. They may have more munitions but we have numbers. Even though they are using a form of psychology on those who are desperate and will blindly follow the masters like good zombies, it wouldn’t take much to get many to remember what freedom is.”
RR nodded. “So we need to get something worked out to make sure some of our people end up at these locations. Are there any other settlements planned in places closer?” Everyone looked at Roger and Sticks for the answer.
“We don’t know. There may be new information that we haven’t gotten yet. Last I heard though, the cell tower project was coming along and there are already a couple up and boosting signals. People with handheld radios were able to hear and transmit back.”
“Fair enough. Is there anything else?”
Roger and Sticks looked at each other for a moment. Roger licked his lips nervously and said, “There’s more, but I we are to tell you directly. Is there somewhere we can go?”
The reaction was almost immediate with both Amie and Jessica, who had been quiet until now, stood up and began protesting with all the reasons why nothing should be held back and how communication was the key. RR put his hand up to get a word in edgewise.
“Calm down, ladies. There is no ‘you and us’ here. We are all on the same team.” He turned back to Roger and said, “I think it will be OK for everyone to learn at the same time.”
Roger pursed his lips and shook his head firmly. “No, Sir. I have direct orders from higher up that I am to tell you and no one else directly.”
Silence overcame those gathered in The Hall. It wasn’t filled with the same tension as it had been at Main Camp but Roger was still nervous nonetheless.
“Well I am ordering you to give me the information here and now.” RR let a hard edge creep into his tone.
“I will not. What good is a soldier who doesn’t follow orders, especially when given directly above one who outranks the person giving a contradictory order? I am a free man, Sir and I have made my choice.”
RR and Tyler looked at Amie and Jessica before turning back to the two men across the table from them. RR admired Roger’s integrity but it put him in a bit of a bind. He was still working on building solid trust with the people of these camps. He had just said there is no ‘you and us’ but he wasn’t going to threaten the man or harm him for following orders or sticking to what he felt was right. Then again, it would likely insult their hosts if he gave in and got the message in private. He wasn’t sure which way he could get a win-win conclusion to this situation.